Monday, October 11, 2010

There are many creative ways in which Verizon Broadband "Sucks" Wireless rips off consumers. Here are several ways:

When you sign on, Verizon locks you into a two-year contract. There's a big termination fee. However, if you don't need their broadband wireless service for an extended period, you can suspend the service -- for a $15 suspension fee.

But here's the real ripoff: The suspension only last 90 days. You must call Verizon again after 90 days, to re-suspend. Otherwise, Verizon reactivates your service and starts charging you.

Why not allow you, the consumer, to keep your wireless suspended until you're ready to use it again?

Because Verizon hopes you'll forget after 90 days. Then Verizon can reactivate, and you won't know until you see your bill. And you'll have to re-suspend, plus pay for the time your wireless card was on, but you didn't use it, since you thought it was suspended.

I suspended my card in July, wrote down on my calender that I had to re-suspend in October. Only I re-suspended on October 11, when I should have re-suspended on October 4 (I am told), so now I'll be charge for 7 days usage that I never used.

This "automatic re-activation after 90 days" is all very sleazy. But Verizon gets still sleazier. Here's how:

Verizon doesn't tell you that you can suspend their service. In all the promotional junk they use to tout their service (coverage, how great it is, how much it costs, the two-year service contract), I've never seen any mention that you can suspend the service.

In past years, I left my broadband wireless service on for months of non-usage, because I figured I'd need it again in a few months. Verizon never told me I had the option to suspend. I had to stumble upon that little factoid.

How so?

I called to terminate my two-year contract in July, though I had six months left on it, and only then did Verizon tell me about their option to suspend for 90 days (and you'd better keep track when those 90 days are over).

BTW, Verizon Broadband Wireless is as slow as molasses, with frequent drop-offs. I only use it because I need internet when I travel.

I've used it in Queens, NY (slow), in Denver, CO (extremely slow), and in Santa Monica, CA -- where it doesn't even work.

My Verizon cell phone also has difficulties in Santa Monica. My surfing the internet shows that Verizon wireless services often fail near the beach, and Santa Monica is a beach town.

If you travel and need broadband wireless, you may have no choice but to be ripped off by Verizon or some other carrier, but know that you are being ripped off.